Arrays having a plurality of nodes interconnected by sections of cable exist in the art. Ocean bottom cables, umbilical cables, telecommunication cables, towed hydrophone arrays, and in-well seismic arrays are just some examples of arrays having a plurality of nodes interconnected by sections of cable. In general, the nodes can be fiber optic sensors, electrical sensors, hydrophones, geophones, or cable connectors, among numerous other devices. Difficulties are encountered when the sections of cable and the nodes are wound onto and unwound from a cable drum or other carrying device. Because the nodes may be larger and may be less flexible than the sections of cable, the nodes may form numerous bulges when winding the array on the drum or other carrying device. Consequently, the array cannot be uniformly wound or organized on the drum or carrying device, which leads to inefficient use of space and potential entanglement of the cable sections and nodes, among other problems. Furthermore, the nodes may be delicate or may require special protection. Therefore, pre-assembling the array and winding the array on the drum or other carrying device may not be possible, because the nodes must be transported under separate protection and assembled to the sections of cable on site.
It is therefore desirable to provide an apparatus and method for the transportation, deployment, and retrieval of a pre-assembled array having a plurality of nodes interconnected by sections of cable. The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.